PadmarAgha Paddhathui : Chapter 17th of RPS

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Dear BhakthAs of NammAzhwAr :

 

Swami Desikan focussed on the interplay between

the different kinds of gems embedded on the Divya

MaNi paadhukhais of Sri RanganAthA in the earlier

paddhathi entitled " Bahurathna Paddhathi " . In the

PadmarAgha paddhathi , he concentrates on the red

gem stone of PadmarAgham(Ruby ) embedded on the

sandals of the Lord at Srirangam . In this and

the subsequent three paddhathis, Swami Desikan

focusses on the rubies , emeralds , pearls

and sapphires decorating the Lord's paadhukhAs .

 

He devoted 30 slokams for the rubies in the padmarAgha

paddhathi , 50 for the pearls in MukthA paddhathi , 20 for

emeralds in the Marataka paddhathi and 30 for sapphires

in the Indraneela paddhathi . The above four gems adorning

the Lord's paadhukhAs dominate as decorations for them .

 

Rubies have the red color resembling that of Mahaa Lakshmi .

Hence , Swami Desikan chose rubies/PadmarAghA as the first

gem stone for eulogy. PadmarAghA literally means the one having

the color of Lotus flower on which Mahaa Lakshmi sits in a lotus

forest . Both the PaadhukhAs and Mahaa Lakshmi have a strong

relationship to the lotus flower . The PaadhukhAs support the lotus

feet of the Lord . Mahaa Lakshmi chooses the lotus as her place of

residence . She also serves the Lord's lotus feet by pressing them

gently , when He engages in Yoga NidrA .

 

Slokam 1

***********

 

prapadhyE Ranganathasya paadhukhAm padmarAgiNim I

padhaika niyathAm tasya padma vAsAmivAparAm II

 

O PaadhukhE ! I surrender unto You , who is is predominantly

embedded with PadmarAghA stones , whose red color is close to

that of the lotus flowers . O divya MaNI PaadhukhE ! You are exclusively

associated with service to the Lord's lotus feet . In this matter , You

are verily like the other lady residing on the lotus seat located on the Lord's

chest and shares Your Lord's duties of offering salvation to the jeevans.

 

The inner meaning is that the AzhwAr considers himself as

one of the Nayakis of the Lord such as Mahaa Lakshmi .

 

Slokam 5

**********

 

padha pallava sangibhi: pradeepthai:

adhikOllAsibhi: Ambha ! PadmarAghai : I

analE sayanam kvachin MurArE :

avisamvAdhayaseeva PaadhukhE ! tvam II

 

O Mother PaadhukhE ! Your PadmarAgha gems are associated

with the tender feet of Your Lord. There , they shine with such a

brilliance that His whole body seems to become invisible in that

lustre. It seems that You lend credence to the Agamic statement

that the Lord lies amidst the red flames of fire.

 

Swami Desikan refers to the PaancharAthra AgamA statement

that Vishnu lies in the midst of fire to create RudrA . Swami also

uses the double meaning of the word , " Adhikam " . It can either

mean excessive or above the head ( Adhi +Kam ) . By the latter

meaning , he hints that the flame-like brilliance of the PadmarAghA

stones reach out and obscure as it were the head of the Lord .

 

Slokam 13

************

 

nityam nijA lokapatham gathAnAm

SrEyO disantheem sritha padmarAgham I

maheeyaseem Madhava PaadharakshE !

manyAmahE mangaLa devathAm tvAm II

 

O PaadhukhE ! We consider You as the equivalent to Sri Devi

because of the many qualities that both of You share. Whenever

and wherever both of Your glances fall on anyone , that person

receives every type of auspiciousness. Both of You have close

association with the lotus flower. Sri Devi prefers lotus as her

place of residence. You stay next to the lotus feet of Your Lord.

The glory of Sri Devi is large . Your glory is equally large since

you are bigger than the Lord's feet so that You can accomodate

His feet with comfort. Hence , I consider You as the equivalent

of Mahaa Lakshmi .

 

The inner meaning is that the AcharyALs are the incarnations

of Mahaa Lakshmi . When one receives the blessings of a

SadAchAryA , that person has no inauspiciousness that

comes across them in this or the other world .

 

Slokam 15

************

 

prathayangmayasya havisha: praNavEna dEvi !

prakshEpaNAya paramArthavidhAm muneenAm I

prAjyam Mukundha charaNAvani ! padmarAghai :

paryAya paavaka sikhAm bhavatheem pratheema : II

 

O PaadhukhAs of the Lord , who blesses one with Moksham !

The lustre of the rays of your padmarAgha stones is like

the flames of the Vedic fire used by the sages in yagAs .

They seem to offer as dravyam their souls to the accompaniment

of PraNava mantra recitation in your agni jwAlA to attain freedom

from the cycles of births and deaths .

 

IN YagAs , ghee(dravyam ) is poured with appropriate mantrAs to

the chosen devathAs ; Agni BhagavAn receives it and delivers that

aahoothi to the intended devathAs . Similarly , when the jeevan

is offered to a sadAcharyan , it is delivered safe and sound to

Sriman NaarAyaNA and Mahaa Lakshmi . The glow of padmarAghA

gems is compared to the Agni jwAlA .

 

Slokam 18

************

 

sthAnE tavAchyutha padaavani ! padmarAghA :

tejOmayaa: prasamayanthi tamO madheeyam I

chithram tadEtadhiha yajj janayanthi nityam

rAgAthmakEna mahasA rajasO nivrutthim II

 

O Achyutha PaadhukhE ! Your rubies through your lustre remove

the surrounding darkness . This is entirely appropriate . But how do their

red lustre destroy my passionate nature (rajO guNam ) ? This is

indeed difficult to understand .

 

Swami Desikan plays here with the double meaning of the words,

" Tama and Raaga : " . Tama can mean tamO guNA (base nature )

or darkness; similarly , RagA can mean red color or passion . Swami

hints that the sacred nature of the effulgence from rubies destry one's

passionate and dark nature amd transforms one to possess

auspiciousness and qualities of purity ( sattva guNA ) .

 

Slokam 20

************

 

paadhAvani ! prasrumarasya kalEryugasya

prAyENa samprathi nivArayithum pravEsam I

Srirangaseemni tava soNa maNi prasootha :

prAkAramagnimayam aarabathE prakAsa : II

 

O PaadhukhE ! The deep red lustre arising from your

padmarAghA stones surrounds the boundaries of

Sri Rangam like the walls of fire and thereby prevent

the entry of the age of kali inside that holy city , the home

of your Lord .

 

Slokam 30

************

 

aruNamaNayas tavaithE HaripadharAgENa labdhamahimAna : I

gamayanthi charaNarakshE ! dhyumaNigaNam jyOthirinkaNathAm II

 

O PaadhukhE ! Through your association with your Lord's

lotus red feet , the lustre of your padmarAghA stones multiply

manyfold in its redness. They thus become superior in their

brilliance . Even hoards of Suns look like fireflies in front of

You , when You are united with Your Lord's feet .

 

The inner meaning is that the knowledge (JnAnam )

obtained from the upadesams of a SadAchAryan is

far superior to the knowledge of thousands

of Saasthras obtained without the upadesam

from a sadaachAryan .

 

Sri RanganAtha Divya maNi PaadhukhE ! Thubhyam Nama :

Swami Desikan , NammAzhwAr ThriuvadigalE SaraNam

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan